“I can’t believe I let you drag me to the Zoo,” Peter mumbled as the small family entered the Zoo. Miles was beaming with excitement, his eyes practically glowing.
“Well I had to get you out of the house and it was either this or that amusement park with that roller coaster that you went on as a little kid and thre-“
“AND will you look at that! A distraction!” Aunt May rolled her eyes as her nephew walked past her, trying to avoid the conversation altogether.
“OH MY GOD IT'S A FLAMINGO!” Miles exclaimed suddenly as he pointed to the enclosure. Before May or Peter could respond, the twelve year old was off running towards the enclosure leaving the two to rush after him so he wouldn’t be lost in the crowd.
It was gonna be a long day.
“I can’t believe I was this close to a cheetah!” Miles squished his fingers together to show them. “It was even looking at me! I think we had we moment! Like in the movies!” The preteen rambled on about the moment he had, and how he felt the connection as they moved through the reptile house.
“Sounds Great Miles. Next thing you know you’ll be on a long journey across the world with you cheetah BFF learning valuable life lessons while cheesy music plays in the background.” Miles sent the older male a death glare. Despite it looking more adorable (like a mad puppy almost) then it did intimidating the hero raised his hands in surrender. “Children,” Aunt May clapped her hands, catching the the two attention “Let’s remain civil or else.”
Nobody dared asked what she meant by ‘else’ but the two had their own ideas. But none were willing to test their theory.
“Who knew spiders were uglier in person,” Miles stated as he stared at the creatures crawling around in their exhibit. Peter looked offended for a moment before shrugging. The boy had a point. “Gross. Can we go somewhere else, those things are really creeping me out. Never understood why people like those things.” Aunt May looked away disgusted.
“I wonder if they ever had a spider get loose while open,” Miles pondered. “Just imagine looking at the spiders thinking they look cool and all then all of a sudden a huge tarantula lands on your head like BLAH SURPRISE!”
The family standing next to them looked at Miles wide eyed. Concern and fear flashed over their face at the thought of a spider.
“I’m so sorry for my nephews son-“
The parents laughed awkwardly, waving off aunt May, as their kids looked up terrified. The family backed away before rushing out.
May looked at Miles who looked confused.
“Was it something I said?”
“Wow those penguins were the cutest things I’ve ever seen! So well behaved too!” Aunt May told the group as the left the feeding.
Peter nodded along, truthfully only half his attention was even on the show. However he didn’t want to ruin everyone’s chirpy mood with his sulking.
“Miles do you want to head over to the tiger exhibit? Your father and I are gonna take a minute. We’ll meet you there,” May asked her nephew.
Miles didn’t put up a protest, he seemed to take the hint and left.
Once the twelve year old was gone, May turned to face Peter who was trying his best to ignore his aunts fiery gaze.
“Peter. You look tired. You haven’t slept have you?” Peter sighed. He desperately wanted to avoid the subject. Or anything that has to do with emotions. “Peter.” May’s tone was more firm and strict. “I know you’re going through a rough time after everything that went down with MJ-“
Okay so maybe he can’t avoid.
He really doesn’t want to have this conversation. “I’m worried for you. The reason I dragged you and Miles along to this trip was because I wanted you both to have some fun for a little bit but it seems to have flopped.” Aunt May paused for a moment as she stared at her nephew. “I’m sorry that things ended the way it did between the two of you but what you’re doing isn’t good for you-“
“May. I’m completely fine! I’m totally cool with what happened,” Peter couldn’t keep the sour expression off his face when he lied. “Peter look at yourself, you’re wearing sweatpants and your shoes don’t even match! Not to mention…” Aunt May’s gaze fell down to the rest of Peter’s body which was in a different shape than from before the whole MJ fiasco.
May sighed. she clearly wasn’t gonna get through to her nephew by trying to make him feel better. She had to try a different approach. “Peter that’s a lie and we both know it. I may be old but I’m not an idiot,” Peter looked surprised, “I know when somebody is having a rough time. It isn’t exactly discreet. Which means other people have noticed too.” Peter already knew where this was going and it left a pit in his stomach. A nasty dreadful pit.
“Miles is worried for you too Peter. He may still be a preteen but he’s observant. He knows something is wrong which is why he came over to my house and asked for me to help you. He cares for you a lot,” Aunt May explained as she forced her nephew to look her in the eyes.
Peter couldn’t help but feel mountains of guilt pile in up in his heart. The last thing he’d ever want was for Miles to be worried for him. That was his job. Not the twelve year old.
“May-“
“If you won’t take care of yourself for you, then do it for your son.” Peter fell silent. He was willing to do anything for Miles. The kid deserved everything good. He didn’t ever want to do anything to cause the kid worry or anything negative. However that’s hard to do when you’re a emotional wreck with more problems in his life than solutions.
“I….I’ll try.” Peter said. It wasn’t a promise that he’d suddenly become the happiest man on earth who doesn’t have issue but he was willing to try.
“That’s all I ask,” Aunt May smiled, her firm stance turning soft.
“I can’t believe we just had a moment in the middle of the zoo,” Peter lightly joked, trying to clear some of the emotional tension. “Isn’t that what happens in those tv shows you watch so much?” The hero choked on literal air while Aunt May gave him a smirk.
“Come on let's go find the rest of our family before they try climbing into the tiger enclosure,” May told Peter before she started their walk.
“Haha very funny but I don’t think the boy I raised would do that!” There was a second of silence before the hero cried, “OH MY GOD HE’S GONNA TRY TO CLIMB IN EXHIBIT!”
Good news when they arrived at the exhibit, Miles didn’t try to enter the exhibit! Peter never doubt it for a second.
“I pity the poor son of a bitch that tries to mess with that tiger,” Miles stated as Peter and May arrived, not taking his eyes off the big cats.
“Watch your language,” Peter warned.
“But you say that all the time!”
“No I don’t!”
“Yes you do! Everytime you step on my legos you yell ‘son of a bitch’,” Miles mimicked Peter, “also when you drop your coffee in the morning.” May glared at her nephew who looked like a child who just got caught doing something scandalous.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, obviously you must’ve misheard me cause that doesn’t at all sound like me.”
Miles didn’t looked convinced at all, instead he found it more humorous judging by the smile on his face. “I’ll make sure I’ll give your father a good talking about his language,” May threatened jokingly.
“Ooooooooh!”
It may have been a joke but it didn’t make Peter any less afraid. His Aunt was a scary woman when she wanted to. He’s seen her look villains in the eye and telling them off about everything they were doing wrong. She even made a robber at a bank rethink their whole life after May gave him a good yelling. The woman may be an elder but that didn’t stop her from being a badass.
Nobody messed with May Parker.
The family of three were driving home when Peter turned to his aunt. “Thank you for today,” He told his aunt.
The elder woman glanced at her nephew before saying, “anytime sweetheart.”
There was a long silence before Peter glanced at the backseat to see Miles passed out in the back in the seat. He looked peaceful as he slept.
A smile crept onto his lips. Something that hasn’t happened in a while ever since the whole MJ fiasco.
Truthfully, it felt good.